Entomology professor to present Steelman Lecture

Dr. Tom Turpin, professor of entomology at Purdue University and Cooperative Extension Service entomologist, will be a Steelman Visiting Scientist Lecturer at Lenoir-Rhyne College.

Turpin, a popular speaker on the study of insects, will give a presentation at 11:15 a.m. Sept. 14 in the Belk Centrum. His topic will be “Flies in the Face of Fashion: Creating Interest in Science.” He will also speak at 3 p.m. Sept. 14 in Minges Science Building Room 222 on the subject “The Science of Entomology.” The second talk will be primarily for science majors. Both presentations are free and open to the public.

Turpin created “Bug Bowl” in 1990 to demonstrate insect mobility to his students. The annual event, now part of Purdue Spring Fest, attracts more than 25,000 people as well as worldwide media attention. A popular speaker, he gives presentations on a variety of agricultural-related topics to audiences of all ages and has been featured in national magazines, on network television shows, and numerous radio programs. A dedicated teacher, he has received many teaching honors. His introductory entomology course is among the most popular courses at Purdue University, attracting more than 400 students each semester.

Turpin is a native of Kansas. He received his undergraduate degree from Washburn University, where he majored in biology and played basketball and baseball. He received a Ph.D. in entomology from Iowa State and has been a professor of entomology at Purdue University since 1971. Turpin has served as president of the Entomological Society of America (1992), was awarded the Certificate of Distinction from the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association (1991) and was named an Alumni Fellow by Washburn University (1993).

He also writes a bi-monthly column, “On Six Legs,” that appears in more than 40 newspapers and does a monthly call-in radio program on WBAA public radio. Turpin is the author of an introductory textbook, “Insect Appreciation,” and a popular book on insects, “Flies in the Face of Fashion, Mites Make Right, and Other Bugdacious Tales.”

Lenoir-Rhyne College’s School of Natural Sciences emphasizes learning through hands-on experiences. Students in this school have the opportunity to develop their own research projects and present them at the N.C. Academy of Science. Over the years, Lenoir-Rhyne has developed a reputation for consistently receiving honors in NCAS competition.

The Steelman Visiting Scientist Lectureship was endowed through the gifts of Dr. Sanford L. Steelman, L-R Class of 1943, and matching funds from the Merck Company Foundation. The series brings outstanding scientists to campus to lecture and interact with students and faculty.

©2006 Lenoir-Rhyne College